The Holiday Loop will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Nov. 16. Two buses will travel between Downtown, the Warehouse District, UpTown and the Old West End. The Arts Commission event is designed to connect holiday shoppers to more than 30 art venues and retailers in the area.

The free shuttle service is provided through a partnership with the University of Toledo and provides a fun, safe way to travel the city, said Arts Commission Programs Coordinator Michelle Carlson.

“The buses help [people] feel more comfortable with navigating Downtown, especially if they’re not familiar [with the area],” she said.

The buses will begin making their rounds immediately following a holiday parade.

There will be two loops to choose from, both stopping at the Toledo School for the Arts (TSA), 333 14th St. Some stops between the two loops are walking distances apart, Carlson said.

Each loop will have two buses. It will take 10-15 minutes for the bus to arrive at a stop, Carlson said.

The Green Loop includes a route stopping at B-Bop Records, The Gallery at the Davis Building, The Paula Brown Shop, the University of Toledo Center for the Visual Arts Gallery, the Toledo Museum of Art’s Store and Collector’s Corner, The Truth Art Gallery and Event Center, Studio Eleven-Eleven, Gallerie 333 at TSA, Glass City Café and Flying Rhino Coffee & Chocolate.

Carlson said the Arts Commission is still trying to acquire more participating venues.

Free parking will be available at many loop stops, including 14th Street by TSA, 1815 Adams St. by Ottawa Tavern, 1701 Adams St. by Manos Greek Restaurant and 1120 Adams St. by Toledo City Paper. Maps are available at www.TheArtsCommission.org.

The Holiday Loop was new last year, but based on a reoccurring event. The original program, Meet & Greet, started in 2005.

“We chartered a bus for the first time to highlight some interesting and unique spaces,” Carlson said. “In addition to the artists getting a chance to network and meet one another, they also got the chance to hop on a bus and see a really neat place.”

The event grew and transformed into what The Arts Commission now calls The Gallery Loop, which has happened in the spring and autumn for the past few years. The Holiday Loop is the same concept but in the spirit of the holiday season.

“It’s just geared toward holiday shopping,” Carlson said.

The Arts Commission is “the longest-standing arts organization of its kind” in Ohio, having opened in 1959, according to a news release. It is supported by the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund the program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

For more information, contact The Arts Commission at (419) 254-2787 or info@theartscommission.org.